Flame
by mischeifxxmanaged
Summary: What would happen in Ginevra Weasley wasn't really a Weasley after all? Draco/Ginny AU
1. A Lost Riddle

The dungeon of Malfoy Manor was damp, dark, and cold, yet the group gathered there seemed not to mind. About thirteen people were circled here around their Lord, all in the blackest of cloaks. Voldemort had summoned them on this dreary Wednesday, the most unlikely of days as to not alert the Order of the Phoenix.

"As you all know, I have been searching for my beloved lost cousin since I have regained my strength. As my only cousin, this young but powerful girl would be my second in command, and a favored friend," began Voldemort. "Finally, I have successfully made contact with her and proven without a doubt that I have finally found my long lost cousin. This young lady still attends Hogwarts, and has been one of the brightest witches of her year. I've performed numerous tests and even seen the girl's memories, so I am quite positive that this is the girl I have been looking for. Now, without further distraction, I'd like to introduce you to Ginevra Minerva Gaunt."

Voldemort points over to her, and she smirks. Finally, a chance to prove herself to her cousin she longed to be desperately like. She removes the dark hood with a grin, and the room hisses at her. She kept her eyes on her cousin as the protests began.

"My Lord, that girl is Ginny Weasley, blood traitor! She may be of pureblood, but she associates with muggles and mudbloods alike! Surely the Order of the Phoenix wants this to be? Of course they have her placed here," suggests Lucius Malfoy.

"Crucio!" Voldemort shouts as Lucius drops to the ground writing in pain. Apparently, his loyal followers were going to need some convincing. After all, the only two people in the world that had known about this would be himself and dear Severus. The Weasley's minds had been compromised when Voldemort had placed her there after his dear uncle's death in the first war.

"Ginevra has been working for me since her first year, you buffoon! She is indeed not a Weasley, as she was adopted by them at birth! I brought her to them myself. She is a Gaunt, and has known so since her first day at that damned school. She's been passing along information on Potter to me along with the occasional aid of my faithful Severus," Voldemort shouts. This explanation would make the tension for his cousin a lot less of a bother, as she was family it was his wish to make this transition as easy as possible for her. "Now, there will be no further discussion on the topic," Voldemort growled.

"Now, Ginny dear," he says turning to his cousin, "you have proved yourself time and time again worthy of the mark that will separate you from the rest. Are you prepared to receive the glorious mark that will show that you are a devoted follower of your Lord?"

"Of course, my Lord," Ginny gasps. "I've dreamed of this for years."

"Well then, come forward dear," Voldemort chuckles.

Ginny walks quickly to the dark Lord, her fire red hair trailing like a flame that would never extinguish. She bowed to him when she was an arms width away, then dropped to her knees. She held out her left arm, pale skin exposed. More than anything, she was ready to receive this honor. Though she was only her fifth year at Hogwarts, and she had waited long enough for this. She was also anticipating her next assignment. She knew she no longer would have to observe Potter from a distance, and maybe she could aid the Dark Lord in some more trying tasks.

"Well then, cousin, welcome," exclaims Voldemort. He presses his wand to her arm, grins, and says the incantation that would brand her for life.

"Mosmordra!"

The room quiets and expects the screams of pain and terror as the mark consumes the small girl. Ginny whimpers once, and then raises her eyes to her cousin. The pain wasn't that bad, why had so many screamed so at receiving theirs? It must have something to do with her blood; the blood of a strong, untainted, pure line of wizards ran through her veins. Not that she could say as much for her cousin, but that wasn't his fault. She may be small, but she sure as hell was strong. Her magical ability had proved that again and again.

A few minutes later she stands up straight. The process had been completed. She glances down to her arm, where an unusual mark was upon her arm. Hers gleamed purple, unlike the rest of Voldemort's followers. "Must have something to do with the blood," she mumbles.

Draco glares in her direction from under his hood. "How dare she receive her mark before me? She's only been working behind the scenes! I should be favored as well," he pouts to himself. That damned gorgeous woman tortured him and he'd never even spoken to her.

"Ah, cousin, I see the mark of a pure witch and a most worthy family member. Now, rejoin the circle," Voldemort says.

Ginny returned to her place next to Bellatrix in the circle, and the meeting continued. There were other matters to discuss as well, like Potter and his whereabouts.


	2. Inappropriate Thinking

The meeting ends several hours later, shortly after Voldemort suggested the younger members find their way to bed as they were to return to Hogwarts the next day. Each member had gotten an assignment to work on and progress was expected by the next meeting, which would no doubt be in a few weeks' time. Meanwhile, Voldemort's finest were told to lay low and not draw attention to themselves, as their plans would not work quite as well out in the open since the Ministry had not been overthrown yet.

"Ginevra, you are to stay here at Malfoy Manor and arrive at school with Draco. Narcissa will show you to your room. Your transfer to Slytherin has been accepted and the appropriate cover will be put into place," the Dark Lord smirked. "Be cautious, as you are not yet known as an open member of my loyal forces. Please continue to spy on Potter and act as if you were a member of the Order, your information is most valuable."

"Yes, cousin," Ginny replies, followed by a small bow.

"Until the mark burns," Voldemort closes, then he disapparates, followed shortly by all others not staying at the Manor.

"This way dear," Narcissa smiles as she takes Ginny's arm. "You will have your own suite while you are here. Don't hesitate to ask for a thing." The women exit the room and head for the North side of the Manor.

Draco is the first one out of the room following the women, avoiding his father as much as possible, headed for the South side of the Manor.

It's impossible, there's no way Ginny is related to the Dark Lord. It has to be some joke or a horrible dream. It was hard enough to keep from smirking at her the whole time they were in the meeting. That gorgeous redhead just wanted to torment him, he was sure of it.

Thoughts of Ginevra Minerva Weasley… er, Gaunt, had gotten him through many lonely nights at Malfoy Manor, and that's where his mind drifted now. Mostly out of habit, partly because he had seen her for the first time since the summer holidays had begun. He would spend hours thinking about her. He would imagine the way her voice would coo his name as his thoughts drifted into each night. He wanted to run his pale hand through her gorgeous flame red hair, and tell her that she was all that mattered to him. It was easier to think about her tonight, now that she wasn't a blood traitor. He wondered if she would really transfer to Slytherin now that her secret was out. It was going to be hard to hide her mark from those Gryffindor prats.

It was no secret that Voldemort had infiltrated Hogwarts, and he had many students and staff on his side from all houses, even from noble Gryffindor. It was insane really, how all of this was happening right under Potter and Dumbledore's noses. Not even mudblood Granger had noticed it. Yet Ginny, ever so cunning, had made sure that Potter noticed nobody but her, and with the Weasley's brainwashed to believe that their perfect angel of a daughter could do no wrong, it would be so easy for things to remain this way until the Dark Lord wished for change.

Gorgeous girl, Ginny was. She had long red hair midway down her back, strait, and firey red accompanied by piercing blue eyes and a slender form. She had curves in all the right places, and it wasn't surprising to hear about a few school boys wanting to strip her out of her too small secondhand school uniform that just happened to hug all the right places for a clearly developed young woman.

Draco made his way to his room, lost in his thoughts of her and sat down on his bed, letting his door slam behind him. "That damned woman," he groaned. She always found her way to his mind.

Draco ran a hand through his silvery hair, and strode over to his closet to change into his deep green nightclothes and hung a rich black robe at his bedside. The silver accents had always been comforting to him, reminding him of school, where he belonged. He smirked, remembering he was to return tomorrow, and then crawled into bed. Most of his questions would be answered soon enough; all he had to do was be patient.

Well, patience was never a Malfoy's strong point.


	3. The Past and the Future

"This way dear," Narcissa smiles as she takes Ginny's arm. "You will have your own suite while you are here. Don't hesitate to ask for a thing." The women exit the room and head for the North side of the Manor.

Ginny glances back to see Draco heading in the opposite direction. He was gorgeous, that was for sure. Just because she'd had a crush on him for forever didn't mean that she could act on it. Well, at least she knew her cousin would be in favor of a relationship with this boy, as he was one of his most loyal followers. She took a moment to appreciate the way Draco's dark jeans hugged all the right places before turning her attentions to Narcissa before she would notice she was having inappropriate thoughts about her son.

"I promise I won't be too much of a pain, Mrs. Malfoy. I hope I'm not too much of a bother," she smiled prettily at Narcissa, distracting her before she could follow the redhead's gaze. There, that should do. Ginny was stunning, and she knew it. Her beauty had helped her get her way for years, and it wasn't going to fail her now.

"Oh, please dear, call me Narcissa or Cissy. Mrs. Malfoy makes me sound entirely too old." Narcissa and Ginny started up a dazzling staircase, to find that Ginny's favorite cousin had decided to take the room that was set aside for Ginny.

"My Lord," Narcissa squeaked as they entered the room to find Lucius and Tom Riddle. "I had no idea that Lucius had already given you this room, my apologies!" She backed out in a bow, and quickly shut the door to the chuckling men, cutting off the steady flow of cigar smoke. "I hate when they do that in the house," she mumbled to Ginny, who giggled by her side. "Very well, we'll have to room you in Draco's hall."

The women crossed the Manor yet again, and Ginny took in the house for the first time. Despite the contrast of dark furniture and accents, it was light, and open; not at all what you'd imagine Death Eaters to be crawling through on a daily basis. The walls were decorated with bright whites, and deep blacks. The furniture was dark green and the floors were black tile. Accents of silver could be found in almost everything. It was a true Slytherin paradise.

They came to the South staircase, and made their way up to the hall, and down about four doors. Narcissa knocked on the door, just to make sure the room wasn't already inhabited. Hearing no answer, she walked in, followed closely by Ginny. The room matched the rest of the house. The walls were white, the furniture of deep black. The bed had silk green sheets, and the closet doors were outlined in shiny silver.

"It's gorgeous," gasped Ginny. Narcissa beamed at her. Her house was her pride and joy; she designed everything inside herself, taking care to match every room.

"I'll leave you to rest. If you need anything, the house elves are only a snap away," Narcissa grinned. "I'll call you down to breakfast in the morning." With that, Narcissa made her exit.

Ginny took her shrunken luggage out of her pocket and returned it to its normal size, pulling out a Chudley Cannons t shirt and sweats. They still smelled like her favorite brother, Bill.

There were times she truly missed the burrow and all its simplicity, but when she finally broke the news to her "parents", that she knew who she was and that she was disappointed that they weren't on the right side of the war, they unceremoniously evicted her at the beginning of the summer, forcing her to stay in the various homes of her cousin's loyal followers. Then on her cousin's orders, she apologized, but refused to move back in with them. She was only trying to save the family she had come to know and love, but with Molly and Arthur's loyalties lying in a certain Albus Dumbledore, they were to be doomed.

In time, she regained the trust of her former family and the Order by convincing them she was the same person, no matter whose blood ran through her veins. Just because she was the second cousin of the darkest wizard ever known, did not mean that she was dark, or so they thought.

As a result, Ginny remained an important member of the Order of the Phoenix, completely trusted by all those in the organization, but acted on the orders of the Dark Lord himself. She had been passing valuable information on Potter to Voldemort for years. So far, nobody on Dumbledore's side had put the pieces together, and it was working in her favor. It was going to be harder to maintain Potter's trust this year, as she would be transferring to Slytherin, but as long as she kept up the façade the fiercely loyal Gryffindor shouldn't be able to figure her out.

Thinking back to the meeting tonight, she blushed. She wondered if Draco had noticed her staring at him? She had done most of her staring from under the cloak she was instructed to hide under for most of the meeting, so she hoped he was oblivious. He had grown up so much over the past few years, and he was incredibly gorgeous. Ginny had often found herself longing to run her hands through that mess of platinum hair and down his chiseled chest. She knew she never had a chance with the Slytherin Prince previously; she was way too much of a Gryffindor for his liking. But now, now she was a Slytherin. This was where she belonged.

Ginny had asked to be in Gryffindor her first year with her brothers, but Draco didn't know that. There was no way the Sorting Hat could be fooled, as the blood of the Heir of Slytherin flowing through her veins, yet it placed her in Gryffindor because she begged. Now, she felt disgusted for begging such an ugly object to be in the same house as the ever noble Harry Potter. No, she wouldn't think about him now.

Draco. That's who she wanted at her side by the end of all of this. He was perfect for her. A follower of the dark side, everything she believed in, and he was a great piece of arm candy, as well as ridiculously wealthy. In spite of all of that, Draco had an incredible personality and a great sense of humor. Well, she'd never had a real conversation with the boy, just playful banter here and there, but that could be easily fixed.

It was there, in a borrowed bedroom at Malfoy Manor, that Ginevra Riddle decided what her goal for this semester would be. By Christmas, she would have Draco on her arm. This was after all, her fifth year of Hogwarts, she should enjoy it. No more waiting, she was determined to be the girl that caught the infamous Slytherin's affections.


	4. Breakfast at the Manor

The next morning came all too fast for Draco, who hadn't slept much at all due to his mind being plagued by thoughts of a certain flame haired Gaunt. When Narcissa came knocking at his door at 7am, he swiftly rose and answered it, much to his mother's surprise.

"Oh! You're never up this early," his mother gasped.

"Couldn't sleep," Draco grinned.

"And you're in a good mood. Hell must have frozen over," Narcissa joked. "I'll just go wake Ginny. Get yourself dressed and down to breakfast, we're leaving for King's Cross promptly at 9am." She flashed her son one of her dazzling smiles, and made her way down the hall to Ginny's room.

Draco closed the door, and took a deep breath. He made his way to his closet and picked out his favorite dark green button up shirt and a pair of black slacks. He stopped to wonder what Ginny would be wearing, and chuckled to himself, wondering again if she'd accepted the transfer to Slytherin house. He'd love to see her in Slytherin green. He stumbled into his bathroom and turned on the hot water, showering quickly. He cast a drying charm and dressed, then brushed his teeth and fixed his hair into a perfect messy array, glad he'd given up the hair gel last year. He waved his wand a few times, packing a few last minute items for school. The upside of being a follower of the most infamous wizard in history was having the trace removed at a young age so that you could practice for his bidding.

He made his way out the door and to the staircase, his mind wandering. He nearly knocked her down when he bumped into the object of his wandering mind. As he looked into her eyes, his stomach flip flopped. Why in the world does her gaze affect him so much? He'd never felt like this by just looking at someone before.

"Oh! Good morning, Malfoy," she said cheerily. She gave him a dazzling smile before leaning on the railing of the staircase to catch her balance.

"You might as well call me by my first name, given that we're working together now," he smirked at her. He reached out to steady her, causing them to lock eyes again, and Ginny to blush for a moment before she caught herself.

"Okay then," she smiled, taking a step closer to him. His breath hitched as she leaned into him and laid her pale hands on his chest to get to his ear. "Good morning, Draco," she whispered. Then she turned and began to make her way down the staircase. Draco took a moment to appreciate how short her deep green dress was. The dress was silky and form fitting, with the bust outlined in silver accents. He let his eyes trail down her legs to her feet, which were currently slipped into silver heels that completed the look. Her red hair hung in loose curls today. Yes, Ginevra looked amazing in Slytherin greens. Ginny paused a few steps down, and then turned towards him, making him gulp.

"I know you're completely fascinated by seeing a Griff in green, but the least you could do is accompanying me down to breakfast," she sneered. Yes, Draco definitely liked this change in Miss Ginny Gaunt. He straightened his posture and stepped down to meet her eyes.

"We match," he stated, taking her arm and leading her down into the dining room. It was no secret Ginny was a flirt, but he'd never thought he'd find her attentions focused on him. It was best to keep his cool and let her come to him, he decided.

"I've noticed," she smirked. The pair made their way down to the dining room to meet Lucius and Narcissa along with the earlier rising guests of Malfoy Manor. The group ate in silence, with the occasional comment from Lucius to his wife on plans to get Draco and Ginny to Kings Cross without them being seen together and completely blowing Ginny's cover.

"If I may," interrupted Ginny. "I was thinking Draco and I could arrive together. It may seem insane to members of the Order at first, but as we're supposed to get them to believe that Draco is worthy of being on their side as well, it may give him a chance by being seen with me. If I can persuade them that he's earned my trust, then they just might come to trust him, too. As far as any of them know, I have accepted my family but I do not believe in their cause."

"That's impossible," began Lucius.

"Actually, it just might work," said Voldemort from the doorway. The entire room rose and bowed to their lord, then remained standing until he took his seat at the head of the table. "If Ginevra can succeed in making the Order trust Draco, we will have influence over Order members when the time comes to have them swear their allegiance to me. As long as Ginevra can convince that fool Dumbledore that Draco has good intentions, he will be accepted into the Order in no time, thus giving us another spy on the inside."

"My thoughts exactly, dear cousin," Ginny grinned. "Now, Draco and I must be off to prepare for our journey, can't be missing the train now."

"Until the mark burns," said the Dark Lord in dismissal.

With that, Draco and Ginny made their way to the entry hall. They slipped on identical deep black cloaks, while making playful banter back and forth. Draco snapped for a couple of house elves to gather their bags from their3, and then they were joined by Narcissa and Lucius to apparate from the grounds directly to Kings Cross.

Draco allowed himself another glace at Ginny. Her pleased smirk was almost too much for him to bear. The Dark Lord never took ideas from lowly servants, therefore leaving Draco in awe. It was possible that Ginny and Voldemort were closer than he had initially thought, being related by blood and such. Lucius took Ginny's arm, and they turned to disapparate with a crack.

Yes, Draco wanted her, but he mustn't lose his head. She was just a girl after all. Granted, a girl that was perfect in just about every way, but still just a girl. He made a mental note to talk with Blaise this evening after the feast. He can't lose his cool over a girl like Ginny.


	5. Back to Hogwarts

Ginny pushed her way through the mass of students looking for an open compartment, headed toward the middle of the train where most of the Gryffindors sat. Now would be a time as good as any to start her mission. She quickly walked to their usual compartment and threw open the door, causing all of it's passengers to jump in surprise.

"Ginny! We've been so worried about you," Hermione gasped as she jumped up and threw her arms around the redhead.

"Well, since my dear adoptive parents kicked me out," she paused, glancing at Ron who seemed in shock, "I had no other choice but to stay with some of my dear cousin's minions. The buffoon stuck me with the Malfoy's," she snarled. "It was hell, but I ended up making a friend."

"We saw you on the platform with Malfoy," explained Harry. Ginny looked up to The Boy Who Lived, grinning.

"The ferret at least helped me keep my sanity until my so-called family believed me enough to accept that I can't help who I'm related to," she snapped. She looked back over at Ron, who seemed dumbfounded. Ginny watched as his face then flashed from pure anger, to regret.

"Gin, you have no idea how that felt! You're related to HIM of all people. We're sorry, and I know it can't be helped, but it was really hard to accept that our only little sister, that all six of your brothers are extremely protective of, isn't your sister at all," Ron exclaimed. "I still consider you my sister, Gin. I wish you'd come back home."

"Honestly, I'd love to, however you know Molly damn well wouldn't let that happen. She may say she wants me to, but that woman despises me due to my blood and my dear cousin's trickery that was completely out of my hands," Ginny snorted. She really did miss her brothers, however. She knew she'd only see Ron through the next two years of school, she'd be lucky if she saw any of them at all after graduation.

Then Ginny turned to Harry. "Any thoughts on this," she glanced at Hermione. "I can see you've accepted me for who I am."

"As long as you accept that we're going to have to defeat your own flesh and blood," Harry said. He ran his hands through his hair and looked up to meet her eyes.

Ginny took a step closer to him. "I plan on it."

Knowing at that she had been accepted into their fold again, and she sat down next to Harry and Hermione, across from Neville, Ron, and Luna. The conversation turned to classes, and who would be the new Defense teacher this year, since everyone knew the position was jinxed. It seemed the Golden Trio wanted Professor Lupin back more than anything, and Ginny didn't blame them. The man knew his subject, and had good looks to boot. Luna wondered aloud if Snape would finally get his dream job, which made Neville shudder. It seemed he still hasn't gotten over his fear of the greasy haired "ex death eater".

Ginny was able to convince them that Dumbledore had transferred her to Slytherin for a reason, using her bloodline as an advantage to persuade some of the harder to reach students to choose the correct side in the war. This conversation took a lot of careful wording on her part so that Ginny didn't give herself or her true ideas up.

She occasionally flirted with Harry, getting the feel of their rediscovered friendship, and let Harry flirt back. Hermione had her nose in a book, claiming that she wanted to be sure she understood everything, but every now and then she would glance over at Harry. Ron wouldn't take his eyes off of Luna as she made random comments about classes and the feast, while Neville napped in the corner. It seemed that things might be almost normal this year, despite her new position and her task.

The ride to Hogwarts passed quickly, and soon the group found themselves in a thestral drawn carriage, waiting for its departure.

It was then Draco made his move. He'd been in the next compartment over on the train, careful not to be seen, but eavesdropping just the same. Dumb Gryffindors never used a silencing charm. He told himself that he was looking out for Ginny, making sure she didn't give herself up, but he couldn't help but find himself angry when he heard Potter flirting with Ginny.

"Ginevra, may I?" He asked, popping his head in the opening of the carriage and gesturing to the only empty seat. "It seems I've been shunned for being friends with you." He paused, waiting for Ron's reaction. Ron's face reddened, and his fists clenched, otherwise he kept his mouth shut.

"Of course, Draco, do make yourself comfortable," she grinned as Draco sat in the carriage next to Luna. "Evening Luna, any nargle spottings yet? I think my house is full of them." The group stared at Draco, mouths open. Ginny knew he had to be convincing, but she never thought he'd be that convincing.

"Oh, yes. Ronald's head is full of them," the blonde exclaimed in delight, looking next to her at the red haired boy. Ron found himself blushing deep red, but gave her a small smile. "I should really get him a charm from father, they seem to like Ronald's head better than any other place in the castle, you see." With that, Luna picked up her copy of the Quibbler and began to read it upside down.

Ron's stomach growled at the moment the carriage lurched forward, causing the girls to giggle. They headed toward the castle with the only sound being the occasional comment from Luna.


	6. Lets Party with Snakes

Chapter Six: Lets Party wirh Snakes

By the time the group had reached the castle, Draco knew he had stunned at least Potter and Weasel into silence. He had made light conversation with Luna and Neville, and even Hermione. Of course, he tried not to rouse the Golden Trio's suspicions too much, but he knew it was up to Ginny if this plan was going to work. There was no way that it was going to without her pushing it along. They had seemed to accept her decision for now, but still watched what they said around him. It wouldn't be long before they started asking questions.

Ginny kept trying to flirt with Potter, but it seemed that he had found another witch to infatuate himself with. Halfway through the ride, Harry had confiscated Hermione's book and was forcing her to tell the group all about her summer vacation with her cousins in America, even though she had clearly told the tale to Harry and Ron countless times during her two week stay at the Burrow at the end of the holidays, as Granger was careful to mention several times throughout her story.

Draco had to admit that it was nice Granger had begun to think of her appearance a bit more this year. Her clothes were more form fitting, her dark brown hair hung down her back in tamed curls and she happened to be wearing makeup. She was actually quite pretty, and Harry seemed to have noticed. Unfortunately, Ginny's flirting seemed to look a bit excessive when Potter focused his attention on the know it all. If she was to maintain a relationship with Potter, it was beginning to become clear that it would be strictly friendship. Shame for Potter, for Ginny was substantially better off in the looks department when compared to mousy brown Hermione Granger, at least in Draco's opinion.

The carriage came to a halt a few feet from the school, and the group started to climb out of the carriage. Harry climbed out first, offering his arm to Hermione. She accepted, but looked at Ginny in apology. It had seemed clear now whose attentions Harry had preferred, but Hermione had seemed hesitant. Neville followed Hermione, then Draco aided Ginny. Ron followed next, and it didn't go unnoticed when Ron helped Luna out. Harry sniggered, and Hermione smiled at them. Ron just smiled at Luna, not giving his best friends the satisfaction of capturing his attention.

"Thank you, Ronald. I would have tripped over the elfsingski's if you weren't so kind," Luna giggled. Ron didn't reply, he just blushed and took Luna's hand and the lead of the group, headed to the great hall.

After that Draco took in Ginny's appearance for the second time that day. The redhead definitely looked good in Slytherin green robes. No, Granger had nothing on Ginevra Gaunt. Honestly, he couldn't wait to get to know her better this year. He knew now she was witty and knew how to turn on the charm, as well as being downright beautiful and cunning. Ginny and Draco fell to the back of the group.

"Seems that Potter is more than interested in Miss Granger this year," Draco sniggered.

"Well, that's just perfect but Hermione's in a steady relationship with my brother," Ginny deadpanned.

"Weasel looked pretty comfortable with Loony Lovegood…" I began.

"Not Ronald, you idiot, I'm talking about Fred. He's not going to be happy when he finds out Harry's trying to move in on his girlfriend, even if Harry helped him and George out with the shop. Fred's quite the overprotective type."

"When did that happen?"

"I'm actually not too sure. I caught them in a broom closet near the end of the year last year, and they were both missing some key articles of clothing. She clearly hasn't told Harry or Ron yet. I'm going to have to have a conversation with her if she continues to let Harry flirt with her like that," she glared at the back of the brunette's head. They watched as Harry tried to put his arm around Hermione's shoulder, but before he could she turned to Neville and started a conversation about this year's Herbology text she had pre read.

"Who knew Granger had a wild streak," Draco snorted.

The group soon reached the Great Hall. Ron turned and kissed Luna on the cheek, apparently forgetting that he was accompanied by his best mate who immediately started teasing him. They took off toward the Gryffindor table, followed closely by Neville. Hermione paused and whispered to Ginny as the girls hugged, promising to talk to her in the morning and wishing her luck with the snakes. Hermione gave Draco a pointed glare and said that he'd better watch out for Ginny.

Then Ginny and Draco made their way over to the Slytherin table.

"Time to party with the snakes," Ginny sighed. Draco looked at her and burst into laughter.

"Surely we're not _**all **_that bad."

"You are a snake, Miss Gaunt. Might as well get used to your own kind, don't you think? " A third voice chimed in as tanned arms were placed around the pair and a head popped in between them. "Honestly, green and silver's taking over this year, I'm surprised you haven't heard, and dating a Slytherin God has its perks… So, that being said," he sniggered pushing Draco off to the side, "how about a date with a real charmer? Hogmeade?"

Draco watched Blaise's eyes wander down Ginny's form, and how Blaise missed the spark in Ginny's eyes as he focused his attention on her body. Draco briefly wondered how she would handle this one, remembering how she turned down Cedric Diggory last year by fake flirting with him until she got close enough to give him an up close and personal bat bogey hex. Of course, it was one of Ginevra's proudest moments.

"You're too sweet, Blaise," Ginny smiled, "but darling, you know I've already promised all of my weekends to a real man."

"Aw, old Moldymort should be able to share such a lovely flower like yourself, if only just for a night."

"I'm talking about that drop dead gorgeous Slytherin sex god you just happened to have removed from my line of sight," Ginny smirked, holding out her arm. After a moment of shock from the words that just passed through Ginny's lips, Draco came to his senses and pushed Blaise out of the way with a famous Malfoy smirk, and took said arm leading her toward the table.


	7. Slytherin Princess and Ravenclaw Hotties

Chapter Seven: Slytherin Princesses and Ravenclaw Hotties

Ginny lies in her bed, dark green curtains surrounding her as she grinned. Things were working out better then she could have imagined.

Ginny had quickly adjusted to life as a snake. The school had taken to calling her the Slytherin Princess, as her true personality showed. Ginevra was clever, resourceful, and cunning. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. Her fellow Slytherins accepted her quickly enough, even though it might have more to do with her last name and the fact that she was already friends with the Silver Trio. Draco, Pansy, and Blaise became fast friends and the first few weeks of school had really flown by.

The Golden Trio had accepted her for who she was, and she had been transferred into sixth year with all of her friends, because she was so advanced in her studies. The coursework came easy to her, despite skipping out on a whole year, and when she did get stuck Draco was more than happy to lend a hand. She remained friends with most of her ex housemates, which was a plus. She knew that many Gryffindors were planning on joining the Order as they came of age, and being friends with them would keep her alive in a battle no matter which way the end came.

Ron and Luna were still going strong, and Luna and Draco had become fast friends. Who knew Draco had a thing for magical creatures? Whatever the pair talked about, they seemed to understand each other even if nobody else understood a word they said to one another.

Harry was still hopelessly flirting with Hermione, though he knew now that she was taken. Harry had found out when he overheard Hermione talking to Ginny about her boyfriend and how happy he made her, of course Ginny made sure to comment loud enough on what she said to spark Harry's interest. Apparently Harry thought since Hermione hadn't said directly to him that she didn't want his attention in that way, he thought it was still okay to be all touchy feely with her. That was going to require some work on Ginny's part.

The plan was going to need some adjustments, as Mr. Potter was no longer interested in a romantic relationship with Ginny, which oddly enough suited her just fine. A certain blonde Slytherin seeker had been on her mind lately, and she had no idea how much longer she would be able to ignore the fact that he had no girlfriend at the present time.

Now, if only she could get Draco to notice her more, and Blaise to notice her a bit less, things would be literally perfect. Blaise Zabini was nothing but persistent, the poor thing couldn't take no for an answer and just accept the fact that Ginny wasn't interested in anything more than friendship.

Meanwhile, Draco had invaded her thoughts and dreams. She couldn't help what her heart had decided; he was just so damn perfect for her: witty, smart, cunning, and spoke sarcasm as a second language. She would catch him looking at her sometimes, but he would immediately focus on something else as if she were the least important object in the room. The pair flirted occasionally, but nothing really ever came of it.

Ginny got up and started to get ready for the day, with none other but the Slytherin Prince saturating her thoughts. She jumped as Pansy threw open her curtains.

"Ginny, we need to talk," she grinned.

"Okay," Ginny drawled, "about?" She pulled on her jumper and skirt, careful to make sure her mark was covered as not to give her away.

"You and Draco," Pansy deadpanned as she climbed out of bed and styled her hair with her wand. "I can tell by the way you act around each other you don't have a strictly friendly relationship. Before you ask, no I was never interested in him, I've always… had other interests. Honestly, I'm more into witty Asian hotties that enjoy burying their nose in a book and date triwizard champions as a cover up for their true sexuality." Pansy applied a bit of eyeliner and mascara, and then pulled on her school uniform.

"There is nothing going on between Draco and I," Ginny giggled as she slipped on her robes and gave a swish of her wand, making her hair fall in ringlets down her back. She began to apply a light layer of makeup.

"That's the problem! There should be. You two would be perfect together," Pansy gushed, pulling on her shoes.

"Dray has absolutely no interest in red haired, ex Weasels with purple dark marks, a bad complexion, and too long legs."

"Personally, I think your legs are one of your best traits, along with that winning smile, gorgeous hair, and tiny body. You also have a perfect complexion my dear. I wish my skin looked that good." Pansy makes her bed and draws her curtains, then grabs her bag and waits for Ginny to finish the final touches on her power.

"Um, thanks, I guess? You were saying, about that Asian Ravenclaw?"

"You're hopeless. I can't believe you're so blind. Draco ADORES you. When you're not around he's almost depressed, he stares at you all the time and you are the ONLY person he has ever gotten tongue tied around."

"Pansy, give it a rest. It's not happening."

"Oh, Ginny dear, but it will. Drakie always gets what he wants, and what he wants is a flame haired beauty. So go claim your crown, Princess, your Prince awaits," Pansy gestures to the door.

"Don't let him hear you calling him that, he'll have a mood swing," Ginny jokes, grabbing her bag and dashing out the door.

The girls make their way down to the common room lightly teasing one another. As they reach the boys on the couch, they're in a fit of giggles gripping each other for support.

"Someone is reading too many romance novels. Did you seriously just call me Princess?"

"You can be my Princess," Blaise growls, throwing his arm around Ginny. "We can ride off into the sunset on a hippogriff, and dance with fairies in fields of wild flowers." He holds his hand out in front of him, as if trying to get Ginny to picture this so called perfect world.

"You wouldn't exactly be my first pick for a Prince Charming," Ginny grins.

"Who else meets the qualifications," Blaise whines.

"A certain Quidditch toned, pale blonde haired Slytherin Pr-" Ginny slapped her hand over Pansy's mouth causing the boys to break into fits of laughter. Ginny drops her eyes to her shoes, as they suddenly had become the most interesting objects in the room.

"Aw, Gin Gin has a crush," Blaise jokes. Draco's smile fades a little bit, which doesn't go unnoticed by Pansy, who nudges Ginny. "Wait, why does Pansy know who it is, and not us? I thought we were friends Gin," Blaise mock pouts.

Green meets blue as Ginny raises her eyes to glance at Draco, and both look away as red tints Ginny's cheeks. After a second, her confidence comes back in full swing as she smirks at Blaise.

"First of all, don't call me that, it's Ginny or Miss Gaunt to you Blaise. Second of all, you should really stop using me as a cover up and tell Dray you love him and pull him off into an alcove somewhere. I'm going to breakfast, and you're coming with me. I need food, NOW," Ginny growls, dragging Pansy out of the common room door.

"Okay, Gin," Blaise grins. Ginny groans and continues dragging Pansy alongside her.

Draco and Blaise are quick to follow, laughing at the ginger's antics and admiring the view of walking behind the hottest witch at Hogwarts as they follow the girls out of the dungeons and into the Great Hall.


	8. What a Little Sunshine Can Do

"You're an idiot," Blaise deadpans. Draco and Blaise were heading outside toward the black lake to enjoy some sunshine during their free period after double History of Magic. Today's lesson had been a particularly boring one about the third set of Goblin Wars, and not even the brightest witch of their age herself had been able to stay awake nor interested with Professor Binns voice droning on.

"Excuse me. How exactly did you come up with that conclusion? You're the one hitting on someone who won't give you the time of day. You're an idiot," Draco backfires, looking at Blaise in disbelief. Nobody calls Draco Malfoy an idiot; he was third in his class, only topped by Hermione and Ginny.

"That's because she's interested in you, mate." Blaise smacks Draco in the forehead, as if that will make his point any clearer. "Honestly, the way you two act around each other is almost sickening. Pansy and I are almost tired of waiting for you two to hole yourselves up in your bed for a few days and relieve the sexual tension. It's unbearable, Dray."

"What sexual tension? Ginny and I, we're friends, Blaise," Draco smirks. "We're close friends, at that. Just because you have to go jump into bed with nearly every girl you meet doesn't mean I'm going to. Don't even deny it, Pansy's a lesbian and you tried for two years to get with her.

"I didn't know about her 'special preferences'. Why don't you tell everyone around you two who doesn't want to deal with you two any longer that you're just special friends? Even the Golden Trio has been keeping their distance because they don't want to be the ones around when the spark goes off. Just walk up to her, throw her against the wall, and snog the living daylights out of the girl. She seems like the type to like it rough," Blaise growls.

"You just wish she'd let you do just that, don't you? And I highly doubt the expression is 'when the spark goes off', that makes no sense at all, dimwit."

"Nah, I only flirt with her to get on both of your nerves. I'm not really into redheads. With Gin, it's to tease her about you, and with you, it's to try and get you to make a move. You're incredibly dim witted for a Malfoy. Man, she likes you. Pansy and I were talking..."

"Pansy can go snog her girlfriend and stay out of my relationship."

"So you admit you want a relationship with her?"

"…"

"Dray?"

"… Shut up."

"Whatever you say, Dray." Blaise laughs as they come to their favorite spot outside by the black lake, finding that the objects of their conversation were already out enjoying the sunshine. The girls seemed to be having a heated conversation but quickly put it to rest when they saw the boys approaching.

"Hey Gin, you look good," Blaise flirts, taking in the short shorts and silver cropped top the redhead was sporting. "You should show skin more often."

"She's trying to win the-" Pansy begins.

"Pansy, go snog Cho," Ginny snaps.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Pansy giggles getting up, bending over and kissing Ginny on the cheek flirtatiously, then going to search for her girlfriend. She didn't really feel like talking right now anyways, and Cho never really wanted to talk.

"Well, I'm off. Can't keep a lady waiting," Blaise smirks.

"Yeah, go find your next boyfriend. Sorry about you and Dray," Ginny smirks, laying back on the grass and closing her eyes. She really loved the feeling of the sun on her pale skin, and was happy to have found a concealment charm strong enough to cover her mark for at least an hour. Granted she'd have to reapply the charm often if she planned to have her arm showing, but it was better than putting her mark on display and making her job a lot harder than it already was.

"Can't keep a guy that was never mine to begin with," Blaise laughs, jogging away. That was almost too easy to get them alone, he laughs to himself. Maybe Draco will wise up and actually try something.

Draco lets his eyes trail over Ginny, pausing at her bare stomach. She has abs. How in the world does Gin have abs? Better yet, how is she so damn perfect? Ginny opens her eyes and props herself up on her elbows, turning to Draco. She grins as Draco sits next to her, watching his facial expression soften from a grin to being thoughtful. Suddenly, he lunges at her, tickling her.

"Dray! Stop! Ahahaha, not cool! Come on! Please! Draco!" Ginny squirms, giggling and trying to get away from him.

"Aw, little Gin Gin's afraid of the big bad Dray?" Draco jokes, pausing to look into her eyes. She looked so damn beautiful in the sunlight, and those green eyes made him lose his train of thought. He didn't realize his hands had slipped to her waist as they just stared into each other's eyes. Ginny grinned, and scooted closer to him. When Draco came to his senses, he pulled her up into his lap and wrapped his arms around her properly. They pair sat there in comfortable silence, Draco's head on Ginny's shoulder, just looking out over the black lake, completely content in each other's company.

After a while, Draco cleared his throat.

"Is something wrong?" Ginny asks.

"Um, well, you see," Draco begins as Ginny moves to get up, but he grabs on to her waist and pulls her back down. "Aw, screw it." He pauses, shifting her so that he can look into her eyes again. "There's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend. Would you consider going with me?"

"I'd love to go with you," Ginny grins.

The two enjoy the rest of their free period out in the sunshine, flirting and talking about anything that came to mind, and Draco made a mental note to thank Blaise, seeing as the dimwit was smarter than he'd originally thought.


	9. Morning Developments

Chapter Nine: Morning Developments

Ginny woke up on Saturday morning in less than favorable conditions. Convinced that the redhead wouldn't wake up in time for Pansy to practice her fashion skills, the brunette used a levitation spell to lift Ginny from her bed and drop her unceremoniously onto the stone floor.

"Stupid dungeon floor," moaned Ginny, pulling her blanket to cover where her pale skin met the freezing floor.

"You should have woken up the first time the alarm went off," muttered Pansy.

"That hurt, a lot. You probably gave me a black eye."

"Well get up and check then, you're wasting precious daylight!"

"What daylight are you referring to, because the last time I checked it was dark out at five thirty in the morning," Ginny deadpanned as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She turned to glare at her friend, but ended up losing herself in a fit of giggles when she saw her fellow Slytherin muttering to herself while buried in a pile of colorful fabrics.

Pansy wanted to start her own clothing chain after finishing Hogwarts, and she enjoyed dressing up her friends whenever the opportunity presented itself. Once Pansy decided on your outfit, that's what you were wearing, no exceptions. The girl could be pretty persuasive.

Ginny stood up and tossed her blanket back onto the bed, and made her way over to her closet. She pulled out her favorite jeans and one of Draco's old Quidditch jerseys she stole from him and set them aside from Pansy's mess. Then she grabbed her shower bag and muttered a quick "be right back" to Pansy, threw on her slippers and slipped out the door down the hall to the showers.

As she made her way down the hallway she ran into Blaise exiting Astoria Greengrass' room.

"Morning, sunshine," Blaise chirped.

"Really? Greengrass?" Ginny questioned.

"Well, my first choice is completely unavailable," he grinned. "She's completely head over heels for my best friend and I can't do a damned thing about it."

"Gee, that's too bad, love. Now go and tell someone who wants to hear about this great lost love of yours because I have some hot water and coconut shampoo calling my name," Ginny yawned.

"Mmh, sounds good to me. Need some help?" Blaise offered.

"Yeah, if you see Dray send him in."

"Will do," Blaise chuckled as he continued on down the hall toward his own rooms.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny reentered her room freshly showered to have clothes shoved into her arms and a pair of sandals chucked at her head.

"Take it easy, Pans!"

"Sorry Gin, just excited. Get dressed, I'm going to make sure Dray and Blaise are up. Meet us in the common room," Pansy grinned. Then she turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her.

"She is way too perky this morning," Ginny mumbled. She pulled on the skin tight Slytherin green tank top and layered the looser black cut off shirt Pansy picked out over it. Then she threw the black mini skirt Pansy tried to get her to wear across the room and pulled on her favorite ripped jeans. Then she put on her favorite strappy sandals, and fixed her hair to hang in loose waves down her back using her wand.

Then she applied a few makeup spells and shrank her wallet to fit inside her jeans pocket, and stuck her wand into her back pocket next to her wallet. She paused to look at her mark, then decided it would be better to conceal it anyways, so that she didn't have to wear her robes if she didn't want to. Then she grabbed her robes and made her way out the door and down to the common room to meet Pansy and the boys for breakfast.

Blaise and Pansy took off ahead of Ginny and Draco on the way to breakfast while the pair walked a little bit slower, chatting about classes, their classmates, and the weather. About halfway up from the dungeons Draco summoned up his courage and took Ginny's hand. She grinned and allowed him to lead her into the Great Hall and over to their seats at the Slytherin table. Neither of the teens noticed how the entire hall went silent as they entered, they were so lost in their own world.

As the two piled food onto their plates, they didn't realize the stares or the whispers of the other houses. They didn't notice the knowing look on their best friend's faces, nor did they see how their entire house was completely unfazed by the new development. The most important thing the pair didn't see, were the glares of a certain Boy Who Lived and his very best friend.


	10. Of Hogsmeade and Purple Marks

After a hearty breakfast, Ginny and Draco made their way out of the Great Hall and toward the path to Hogsmeade, but before they could begin their way down to the small town, they were stopped by none other than Hermione Granger. Hermione yanked Ginny aside, only letting the redhead pause long enough to shoot an apologetic glance and a weak smile in Draco's direction.

Being the gentleman that he was, Draco gave a smirk and continued down the hallway to wait outside for Ginny, making conversation with Blaise, who was waiting for Astoria to go and fetch something from her rooms in the dungeons.

"Ginevra Minerva! You didn't tell me you were interested in anyone, much less Malfoy!" the witch hissed. "You usually tell me everything, how did this happen? Are you going to Hogsmeade together? How long HAS this been going on? Your brother's about to blow a gasket…"

"Hermione," groaned Ginny. "We're not dating, we're just going to Hogsmeade. You're acting as if I'm engaged to the man. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Nonsense, Fred will want to meet him, formally. We're going to Rosmerta's, come along."

Ginny tried to tell the witch that the last place she wanted to be today was grabbing a butterbeer with one of her more overprotective" older brothers", much less with Draco in tow, but Hermione wouldn't have any of it.

"First of all, Fred's not really your brother; he is, however, your best friend's boyfriend and you will have to be in his company quite often. Now come on," Hermione grinned, dragging Ginny up to Draco, where he got a brief explanation of the change in plans, and then the three set off for the bar. The trio made polite conversation while they walked toward Hogsmeade, and met Fred at the entrance to the town. The jokester was a bit shocked to see the company his little sister had been keeping since her flight of the burrow, but he gave her the opportunity to explain most of the changes that had happened in such a short amount of time.

Draco and Fred actually got on well, once they put aside the whole Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry. Fred, being the ever protective brother, had fired questions about Ginny at Draco for the first half hour, saying that he was concerned after her abrupt departure from the burrow at the beginning of the summer. Fred assured Ginny that she was still his little sister, no matter what his mother had to say about the matter. The group ordered their drinks and the conversation switched to Ginny's skipping a grade, to which her brother ruffled her hair and told her he was proud of her, even if she was a Slytherin.

About fourty five minutes into the conversation, Ginny slipped a note to Draco.

_Trying to escape, give me a minute._

Unfortunately, it took an hour longer and a the longest conversation about Quidditch in the history of the Wizarding World for Hermione to wise up and steal her boyfriend's attention. It was then the Slytherins could finally make an escape. The meeting really wasn't that bad, but Ginny really wanted to get some new gloves and robes for practicing if she was going to play next year. She had given up the sport this year to get settled in Slytherin and get used to the new course load that came with skipping a year.

"I thought that would never end," Ginny groaned as they made their way out of the pub. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea that it would take that long. Hermione seemed so determined to not let us get out of her sight."

"She was probably on orders from Potty and the Weasel," Draco smirked. "I like Fred, however. He is quite easy to talk to."

"Fred was one of my favorite brothers growing up, he's really not that bad," the redhead giggled. "He was the one that encouraged my other brothers to actually let me have friends my first and second year."

The Slytherins stopped at the bookstore to pick up a potions book order for Draco. While they were waiting for the clerk to fetch the stack of books from the back, they spotted a giggling Cho, closely followed by Pansy, heading for the very back of the store. Ginny laughed, wondering how in the world everyone was so oblivious to the popular Ravenclaw's secret relationship. When the clerk returned with Draco's purchases, he shrunk them down and pocketed them, and the pair left the shop.

Ginny and Draco were entering the local Quidditch shop when Ginny's mark began to burn.

"Ugh, not now," Ginny groaned, and Draco looked at her questioningly. She just grabbed his hand and led them down a dark alley opposite of the store, making sure that nobody saw them.

"My mark," she explained, pulling up the sleeve of her robes to reveal the dark purple skull and snake tattoo when they were completely alone in the alley. Draco gave a nod, and then the pair turned and apparated to Malfoy Manor.

Upon their arrival, Draco took Ginny's waist and escorted her through the wards and through the door, as Narcissa called out a greeting to the teens from the entryway.

"Draco, and dear Ginevra! Lovely to see you both. How's school going," she inquired.

"Cissy, you look lovely. School is going well, I've adjusted rather quickly with the help of your darling son," Ginny grinned.

"Yes, mother, Ginny here has been quite the closet Slytherin all of these years. No wonder our Lord has kept her a secret for all of these years," Draco smiled. "Now, where are we to be this afternoon?"

"Everyone is meeting in the dining room," she grinned, taking note of how Draco hadn't let go of Ginny's waist since the pair walked through the entrance to the Manor. "You two should go on in, Lucius and a few others already have been seated."

"Thank you, Cissy," Ginny flashed the Malfoy matriarch a dazzling grin and let Draco lead her to the dining room.

"My mother adores you, you know," Draco mumbled in her ear.

"Well, at least one of your parents approve of me," Ginny chuckles, then composes herself for her entrance as Draco laughs and drops his arm to his side, moving to open the doors for her. Lucius looks up to see the pair enter, and his mouth turns into a half grin for just a second as he rises to seat Ginny next to the head of the table, beside Snape, and across from himself. She grins in thanks, then settles in for the meeting.

Within the next few minutes, Voldemort enters the room and his followers rise and bow their heads as he makes his way to the end of the table, and sit after the Dark Lord takes his own seat., and then the meeting is underway.


	11. Not So Secret Intentions

Ginny zoned out as the cloaked figures around the table reported on their developments to the Dark Lord. To be completely honest, her mind was on everything but the conference. While her cousin's followers relayed every bit of material that their incompetent minds could recall, Ginny had written her entire Potions essay in her head, prearranged what she was going to wear for the next week, and even had the time to think about how this particular meeting was completely ruining her outing with Draco. It was then she recalled that she was supposed to be getting closer to Harry, not Draco.

She groaned, which unfortunately called the attention of the room to her and away from Lucius' (yawn) surely fascinating report.

"Ginevra, any input on how to better infiltrate the Ministry?" questioned her cousin.

"Student interns and Imperius curses," she deadpanned, earning a half smirk from the Dark Lord, and bewildered stares from every Death Eater in the room. Surely these idiots hadn't forgotten their greatest defense from the previous Wizarding War? The same idea had kept over half of them out of Azkaban before.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Several of our newest members are just young enough to qualify for internships, and if they know how to not only remain devoted to you, but how to keep their lips sealed, they could prove to be most useful. Dumbledore would willingly write a recommendation for just about any past Hogwarts student, provided they have earned their completion certificates. The Ministry would accept anything signed by that old fool." A wave of light laughter swept the room at Ginny's insult of the Hogwarts headmaster. Voldemort paused, seeming to think it over, and then nodded. "Furthermore, Imperius curses were our greatest defense in the First War, as the Ministry can't track whether a person is truly under the impact of an Imperius. Surely repetition of our tactics that have been proven in multiple ways to help our side gain control could help us again this time around."

"Any progress with the Potter situation," he asked. The room again fell silent and all eyes fell on Ginny. The redhead sat up straighter and smirked.

"The simple minded fool refuses to date me, thus making all of the plans I made this summer to crush him through the same feeling that saved his life as an infant completely inadequate. However, Potter has fallen head over heels in love with mudblood Granger, who Is currently in a relationship with one of my former brothers," Ginny grimaced. "However, Granger and I have remained friends, and I have major influence over many of her decisions as she completely trusts me. For example, if I told her to leave Fred for any reason at all, she would do so without asking too many questions even if it meant crushing my dear brother's heart."

"I am impressed that you have managed to stay close with Potter and his friends, maintain a façade of loyalty to the light, and recruit classmates to join the cause. As for the Potter situation, it is no big matter, we will have to work on that at another time. I will be in contact with you and Severus later this week, and we shall discuss the situation and a new plan in further detail. Now," Voldemort smirks, turning to the others in the room, "I must be on my way due to other matters I must attend to this evening. Ginevra, if you could spare a moment, I'd like to speak with you and Draco privately in Lucius' study if you please."

Ginny and Draco rose from the table and followed the Dark Lord down the hall to the Malfoy patriarch's grand study. Upon entry Voldemort placed a silencing spell upon the room, and gestured for the teens to seat themselves in front of Lucius' mahogany desk.

"Let's forgo the formalities for now, shall we? This is more of a personal matter than one of business," chuckled the Dark Lord, removing his cloak and relaxing in the chair behind the desk. The teens glanced at each other with a hint of confusion across their faces, but quickly refocused their attention on their Lord as he continued to speak.

"Ginny, how are your classes going? I hope your transfer to Slytherin has gone over well, and that your classmates are treating you well. Severus had disclosed to me that you have quite a talent for potions, transfigurations, and charms, which will all prove to be more than useful at some point for the both of us."

"Things have been going rather well. I've become rather close with some of Draco's friends, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, both of pure blooded and loyal families. I've managed to retain the trust of my foster family and past acquaintances, as well as keeping up with my studies," Ginny grinned.

"Outstanding, both of their families are extremely loyal to our cause and as I hear it they are both first rate students as well. I recall that Blaise is on the list to join our forces after he turns seventeen. Now, what I am truly curious about is this evolving relationship with Mr. Malfoy, here."

"Draco has proven to be a very good friend to me these past few months."

Draco shifted in his chair, unsure of how to address his Lord in an unformal setting such as this one. Up until this point he wasn't quite sure why he was in attendance of this particular conversation, as it had seemed to be a private family conversation. The blonde had absolutely no idea how the Dark Lord had learned of the pair's friendship, but he also hoped that the Lord would have mercy on him when he learned of Draco's true intentions toward his only living relative.

"Surely you don't underestimate my powers of observation, dear cousin. You are quite clearly more than friends, my dear. Not only have I heard rumors, I happened to be closely monitoring your behavior in the meeting just a few minutes ago. You two couldn't keep your eyes off of each other, even when Ginny here had completely lost herself in her thoughts."

Ginny jumped up and attempted to apologize, but Voldemort motioned for her to silence herself and reclaim her seat. He then turned his full attentions to the Malfoy heir.

"I assure you, it's quite alright Draco. You are of pure blood, a true and consistent Slytherin, and your father is one of my most loyal followers. Your ambition sets you apart, and you are well on your way to becoming a first rate Death Eater. I highly approve of your friendship with my cousin, and I would fully accept if you'd like to pursue a relationship with her."

"Your acceptance of my feelings towards your cousin means a lot to me, my Lord," Draco grins as he bows his head.

"Now, that is all I have to say on the matter at the moment, both of you may go and resume your date," Voldemort winks.

As Ginny opens her mouth to ask how he knew about the Slytherin pair's original plans for today, her cousin simply stated that he wished them the best and reminded her to look for his owl later this week, and excused himself.


	12. Dray's Perfect Day

Draco whistled as he made his way from the common room out to the Slytherin quad's favorite spot out by the Black Lake. Today was his third favorite holiday, Halloween, and so far the day had been nothing but perfect. He slept through breakfast, managed to convince Blaise to let him copy his charms essay, and it happened to be a Saturday, the best day of the week. He had no classes to worry about, and had had an enjoyable night cuddling with Ginny by the common room fire the night before.

After their conversation with the Dark Lord, the pair had decided to take things slow and not put a label on anything. They enjoyed each other's company, and they had become very good friends.

Draco passed by the Golden trio near the entrance, and noticed that Harry and Hermione seemed to be in some type of argument. He only watched long enough to see Hermione throw a book in Harry's general direction and stomp off into the castle before he continued down the path. He'd never really liked the mudblood, but he had to give her props for throwing the heaviest book she owned at the Boy Who Just Wouldn't Die.

He spotted Blaise and Astoria stretched out on an oversized blanket next to their favorite tree, with Ginny standing nearby looking out over the lake. Draco broke out into a run at full speed and tackled Ginny to the ground, tickling her and rolling around, much to the other's enjoyment. Soon, all four Slytherins were in a play fight, girls against boys. Draco looked at Blaise and nodded as the girls tried to run back towards the tree, and they picked their respective girls up and threw them over their shoulders and took off towards the water, then plunged in.

"Drake!" screamed Ginny. "I don't want to get attacked by a Giant Squid today, thank you very much!"

"Too bad," chuckled the blonde, looking over to catch his best friend shyly place a kiss on Astoria's forehead as he wrapped her in his arms. That's all it took for him to burst out in laughter, and soon the entire group was laughing.

A splash from behind them caused an abrupt stop to the group's moment of hilarity, and they stared as Cho and Pansy surfaced. Cho immediately started complaining about being wet, causing the group to giggle, which turned back into full blown laughter as Pansy kissed Cho, successfully shutting her up. After a few minutes, they realized that they were the center of attention in the middle of just about every Hogwarts student that happened to be out enjoying the day.

"Are you okay," Pansy muttered in the direction her girlfriend.

"I'm tired of hiding, it's been a year," said Cho, grabbing her girl and planting her lips soundly on the object of her affections. The group broke out into cheers, and their audience quickly tried to "resume their activities", which in reality looked a lot like they were heavily gossiping.

The teens made their way back to the blanket under their tree, where Ginny used a wandless spell to transform her wet clothes into a pair of shorts and a tank top, choosing to forgo shoes for now. Then she cockily snapped her fingers, instantly drying off her friends, who were currently staring at her in astonishment.

"Just a little skill I picked up over the summer," she grinned. "My cousin had me in lessons covering various subjects over the summer, and I'm a rather quick learner. I picked up Occulemency and a few other useful skills."

"I'm dying to learn some wandless spells. Could you tutor me?" asked Cho.

"Sure, but not today. I'm guessing you'll be around a lot more often now, so it won't be hard to get ahold of you," Ginny laughed.

They spent the day hanging out by the lake and gossiping about other students, chatting about their studies, and messing around with each other. When it came time for supper, Draco summoned a house elf to bring them a picnic basket filled to the brim with food from the feast in the Great Hall so that they could eat and watch the sun go down before heading back to the Slytherin common room to participate in the annual Hallows Eve party.

After eating, the teens headed back up to the castle. When they were almost to the entrance hall, Draco pulled Ginny aside.

"Can I tell you a secret?" he asked, grabbing her hands.

"Sure," she smirked, leaning in so he could speak into her ear.

Draco lightly touched her chin with his hand, directing her face to turn towards his, and he lightly kissed her. As he made to pull away, Ginny reached up and wound her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. They stood there for a few moments, tasting each other's lips and enjoying one another as the sun went down, until…

"Oi! You're gonna miss the party," interrupted Blaise.

The pair grinned at each other, and made their way back down to the dungeons hand in hand.


	13. Hot

As soon as Ginny, Blaise and Draco reached the common room Pansy grabbed Ginny's arm and the girls ran straight up the stairs to their dorm, leaving the boys laughing behind them. Ginny plugged in her wizPod, found her favorite Weird Sisters song and cranked the volume up as loud as it would go. She skipped over to her closet and began rummaging through clothes. She heard Pansy sigh behind her and then felt a tug on her arm. She turned to find Pansy holding the perfect outfit. A Slytherin green halter top and black leather shorts, with silver heels.

"Perfect!" screeched the redhead, lunging at her friend and hugging her. "Thanks Pans. Take anything you need," she added, gesturing to her closet. Then she pulled on the clothes and grabbed her wand. After a few quick spells her long red hair fell in waves down her back and she had applied her makeup, then she stepped into her shoes, and tucked her wand inside her shorts and shirt so it wasn't visible. Then she turned around to check Pansy's outfit. The brunette was wearing one of Ginny's favorite black and silver mini dresses with green sandals, and had her hair piled in a classy updo. She had changed her eye color to match her sandals, and put glitter on her eyes. Thank Wizard God for magic.

The girls jumped as Astoria bounded into the room wearing a dark blue cropped tee and the same horrid mini skirt Pansy always tried to make Ginny wear, only in white, accompanied with blue platforms. The blonde had her trademark pearls around her neck with the matching earrings in her ears.

"I've gotta let Cho in," Pansy announced as she bounded out of the room and back down the stairs.

"Let's go down," Ginny smirked. There was no doubt about it, the girls looked fierce, and Ginny couldn't wait to see the looks on the guys' faces.

"Wait Gin, Blaise invited some people from other houses," Astoria blurted out. "Don't get mad, he thought it might help win some people over."

"Who exactly did he invite," the redhead questioned.

"Well, he told Granger, and Potter overheard and assumed that him and Weasley were invited too, then I guess Granger invited Longbottom and a few other Gryffindors. Of course Pansy let Cho bring a few friends…" Astoria trailed off and looked at Ginny nervously.

The redhead paused for a moment, then grinned. "Perfect," she exclaimed, causing the blonde to cast a confused glance in Ginny's direction. Pausing just long enough to apply the spell to hide her Mark from view, Ginny and Astoria made their way down to the common room where the party was already underway.

Ginny spotted Hermione, Luna, and the Gryffindors across the room looking a little out of place. Upon making eye contact with Hermione, Ginny flashed her most brilliant smile and made her way over to her old friends.

"Mione!" she yelled over the music, reaching out to hug her friend. Then she turned to the others. "I'm so glad you guys could make it." She noticed that the entire group's eyes were on her, and that a few of the boys' eyes were trailing her tiny form.

"What's the matter, snake got your tongue?" Ginny joked to them, causing everyone to nervously laugh. "Seriously guys, I'm the same Ginny, just a little more fabulous."

"Let's dance, Luna," suggested Ron, shooting a flirty glance in Ginny's direction and pulling his girlfriend onto the dance floor created in the middle of the room. Honestly, Ginny still saw him as her big brother, and it felt so wrong to have him look at her that way.

"Ginny?" asked Finnigan, motioning to the floor.

"Why Shay, I'd love to," she flashed her smile again at the group, and took Seamus' arm. She took turns dancing with all of the Gryffindors for the next half hour, trying her best to avoid taking a turn with Ron, and they seemed to warm up to her. They were chatting like they used to up in the Gryffindor common room on lazy weekend nights when Cho and her Slytherin friends found her.

"There you are," exclaimed Astoria. "Where have you been? I can't stand another minute of enduring Pansy and Cho's baby talk." The couple laughed and made their way over to an empty spot on the couch and sat down, Cho in Pansy's lap, then struck up a conversation with Neville and Dean.

"Stori, 'Mione, let's dance," Ginny giggled, grabbing the girl's arms and taking them out onto the floor. The redhead was getting bored and she decided it was time to liven things up a bit. She started dancing face to face with Hermione and pulled Astoria behind her. The way they moved made everyone in the room stop and stare. Ginny really enjoyed being the center of attention. She threw a quick glance and a smirk over to where she left the group and noticed Draco and Harry sitting side by side staring slack jawed at the girls. She winked, and turned to Hermione and ran her hand through the brunette's hair, and pulled her friend in for a kiss.

Ginny remembered last summer when she and Hermione went out clubbing. They always used this trick to keep any guys around interested in them and only them. Come on, what guy doesn't like a fearless girl who kisses her girlfriend for fun?

The girls broke apart to cheers, and Ginny turned to Astoria.

"Aw, come on gorgeous," she winked, "can't have you feeling left out." Then she pulled Astoria in and kissed her soundly as the cheers around them grew to a deafening roar. Her girls were already the life of the party and they hadn't even had any firewhiskey yet!

The girls threw a glance around the room, winking at the various cute guys in attendance and made their way back to the group, where Astoria disappeared with Blaise, and Draco had a few shots of firewhiskey in his hands.

"Thanks, doll," Ginny winked, taking one and tipping it back, savoring the sweet burn of the alcohol as it made its way down her throat. Hermione opted for a butterbeer, which Harry fell all over himself trying to fetch for her. It was going to be an amazing night.

Draco put down his drink, and tugged Ginny out onto the dance floor.

"You really can't expect me to keep my hands to myself with you wearing that," he chuckled, running his hands down her sides and leaning in to kiss her neck. As he straightened back up, she grabbed his tie and pulled him down so she could reach his ear.

"Well that would be counterproductive, now wouldn't it," she whispered, letting go and throwing him a wink. The teens then began dancing the rest of the night away.

Step one of the Dark Lord's plan, also known as "Get in with the Gryffindors" was complete.


	14. Now, Smile

Draco glanced toward the mirror, and then ran his hands through his silver blonde hair as he turned away and pulled his shirt over his head with a sigh. For some reason, nothing in his closet seemed to look right today. He stripped out of his dress slacks and pulled on a pair of jeans Ginny had talked him into buying, and threw on a black wife beater. He arranged his hair into a careful disarray and pulled on some muggle shoes. Maybe it wasn't the look he was going for, but those damned muggles sure knew a thing or two about comfort. He grabbed his charms book and strutted out the door.

As he neared the Slytherin's favorite spot by the lake, he heard Ginny's musical laugh along with an unfamiliar chuckle. Draco looked up to see his somewhat girlfriend accompanied by none other than the infamous duo, Potter and the Weasel. He paused, leaning on a tree a few feet away and attempted not to look like he was evesdropping.

"Harry, there's no way Mione's going to dump Fred for you," Ginny giggled.

"She just doesn't know how perfect we'd be together yet. C'mon Gin, what happened to you being my biggest fan?" Harry teased.

"She's too far up Malfoy's a…"

"RON!" Ginny shrieked. Draco glanced across the lake to see Hermione and Luna exit the castle and head in the direction of the other three teens.

"Oh come on, Gin. Do you seriously think he isn't messing around with half the school whenever your back is turned? Just this morning I saw him feeling up Cho."

"I highly doubt that," Ginny smirked. She glanced in Draco's direction, meeting his grey eyes and shooting him a flirty half smile before saying something to Harry. Draco transfigured a nearby lily pad from the lake into a large blanket, and proceeded to make himself comfortable. He looked up to see her eyes fixed on his form. With a smirk, he tore off his fourth shirt of the day and turned his face to the sun, flexing his stomach. He'd never been much of a person for sleeveless shirts anyways. He heard her sharp intake of breath as he forced himself to tune back in to the conversation.

"See? He's clearly got you brainwashed. Why don't you consider going out with someone who will be faithful for a change?" Ron whined, recapturing Ginny's attention as a look of pure annoyance crossed her sun kissed features as Hermione and Luna approached the group. Suddenly, her expression brightened as she turned to her former brother, and placed her hand on his arm, stepping closer to him until they were face to face.

"Sure, if you could be a doll and give Shay my number, I'm sure he'd be pleased," Ginny winked.

Harry doubled over in laughter, reaching for the nearby tree for support as Ron's face went red. Hermione and Luna joined in the laughter, causing both boys to jump. All of Harry's attention went immediately to Hermione, making sure she was comfortable enough to study out under the warm rays. Ginny politely chatted with Ron and Luna for a few more minutes, then excused herself.

"I wondered when you'd come harass me," Draco smirked as she approached.

"Well, darling, you were next on my list," she smiled, taking time to trail her eyes down his pale form once more before moving to sit down on the blanket as Draco sat up and swept his favorite redhead into his arms. The pair adjusted themselves until they were comfortable, then let out a collective sigh.

"Now, this is more like it," Draco thought. He placed his chin on Ginny's shoulder and the pair looked out over the lake.

Suddenly, a flash caught the pair off guard. They looked up to see Colin's trademark grin plastered on his too small face.

"Yearbook," he shrugged, then kneeled down with the camera in front of his face. "Now smile," he instructed.


	15. Raining Glitter in Potions Class

Ginny tossed her long hair over her shoulder as she entered the Great Hall. She laughed along with Astoria and Hermione, and the trio strutted over to the Gryffindor table. Ginny slowed down as she passed Seamus, trailing her hand over his shoulders, pausing to lean down and whisper a question about some homework into his ear. The two made plans to meet in the library during their free period to look over Charms homework while Ginny kept solid eye contact across the table with Ron. Astoria grinned as Ron's face turned the famous Weasley red, and she grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her off to the Slytherin table before Ginny could finalize her plans with the young Irishman.

"He could not take his eyes off of you," the blonde gushed. "That's so weird!" Astoria glanced over her shoulder to see Ron staring at them as they crossed the hall. She threw the boy a dirty look, and then turned back to her friend with a grimace. "He's so… disgusting, looking at you like that while he's still with Luna. You used to be his sister!"

"I told you! Now shut up and watch, he's gonna have it out for Shay," Ginny giggled as the girls reached their usual spots at the Slytherin table in the back of the Hall, overlooking the rest of the house tables.

Blaise and Draco nodded in greeting, and then returned to their conversation as the girls discreetly watched Ron put something into Seamus' morning coffee. Harry caught onto what Ron had done, then distracted Seamus after sharing a look with Hermione. The blonde and the redhead burst out laughing as Hermione then "accidentally" knocked the cup into Ron's monstrous plate of food, where it exploded, covering half of the Gryffindors and a few Hufflepuffs in a random assortment of half eaten breakfast foods. The entire hall erupted in hysterics as Ron sat dumbfounded, eggs dripping from his orange hair. Luna rushed over; casting a quick charm to clean off her boyfriend, then escorted him out of the hall.

Professor McGonagall muttered an incantation under her breath, quickly cleaning up the mess, then continued eating as if nothing out of the ordinary had just taken place. Following breakfast, Professor Dumbledore stood and called the attention of the room.

"First of all, I'd like to thank the masterminds behind our morning entertainment for setting the mood for my announcement," Dumbledore began. "Your professors and I have decided that in honor of Halloween, we will be having a costume ball for all years above second. A costume is not required to be able to attend, and neither is a date; however you may bring a date if you choose. You do not have to wear a costume, but if you choose not to, the dress code will be semi-formal. The dance will be the Friday after next, which should give you plenty of time to make preparations. I think that should do it. Now, off to class."

As the next week progressed, Ginny tried to avoid most of the boys in her classes. Ginny told herself that she wanted to go with friends, but even she couldn't fool herself that she was just waiting on Draco to formally ask to accomapny her. She had been asked by a number of young suitors to attend the ball, but none of them caught her interest. That is, until Potions that Thursday with the Gryffindors.

As Ginny, Astoria, and Pansy sauntered into the musty dungeon classroom for their third period potions lesson, random ingredients began exploding into dive bombing rose petals that turned into wispy clouds of smoke in the shape of hearts when they came into contact with something. Of course, this caused the entire class to duck and cover under various desks, laughing like hyenas. Professor Snape began yelling and trying to restore order, but every time Ginny tried to get closer to her assigned table, more and more rose petals exploded out of nowhere.

When Ginny finally reached her seat, Slytherin green and dazzling silver glitter started raining from the ceiling over her assigned seat. Groaning, Ginny slammed her head down onto her desk as the Gryffindors continued laughing. She looked over to see Draco smirking, sending out a silent prayer that he wouldn't humiliate her like this just to ask her to a stupid dance. She looked at him with pleading eyes, and he just shook his head. So it wasn't Drake.

Suddenly, a line of tap dancing toads appeared on the Professor's desk. As the toads danced, the hilarity of the situation crept in and Ginny began laughing uproariously. Then, a majestic midnight black owl swooped in over the heads of the students, dropping a black envelope tied with a green ribbon on Ginny's desk, then made a hasty exit. Snape continued yelling until Ginny opened the note, which turned out to be a variation of a howler, which unfortunately also sang.

"GINEVRA MINERVA RIDDLE, MY LOVE FOR YOU IS NOT FICKLE. THOUGH I CANNOT RHYME, I CAN TELL YOU IM WORTH YOUR TIME. PLEASE GO TO THE BALL WITH ME?"

With another burst of green glitter, Blaise Zabini stood in front of Ginny's desk, grinning like a Cheshire cat.


End file.
